Gigabit USB->Ethernet Adapters - Do they make sense?

Question

USB only gets 300-400 Mbit/sec, but Gigibit Ethernet is supposed to get 1000Mbit/sec.

So, how is a USB -> Gigibit ethernet adapter possible? They sell them.

Does anyone have one of these devices, and if so, what is your experience with them.

Purpose:

I am considering using an old laptop to build a firewall/router/print server, with the integrated 10Mbit card out to the ethernet and a faster card into the switch. The PCMCIA slot on the laptop is broken.

Answer 1

Yes they make sense.. 400MBit/Sec is still faster than 100MBit per second, which is your next choice down.. And the 1000MBit per second is a theoretical maximum accross a short cable under perfect conditions with no collisions.. In reality you're unlikely to get anywhere near this speed on an ethernet copper cable.

If you're using an old laptop, the USB is likely to be USB 1.0 which is only 4 MBit per second, so I would go for a 100MBit connection so long as your switch is auto sensing.. Otherwise if you have a 100MBit card plugged in, your whole network will run at 100MBit, in which case, a gigabit card makes sense!

Answer 2

While the USB adapter will never support a G of traffic, it will support more than the current 10/100 Mb standard.

The next standard is 10/100/1000 so that is what the Ethernet side of the adapter is set up for.

In any case. the bottleneck in your project will be the 10 Mb NIC, so it will never be an issue.

Here's where I stick in my 2 cents

IMHO - It will be less hassle and you will get a better system if you get a SOHO router and use it for the firewall/router duties.

You then set up the old laptop as a file/print server using just the integrated NIC.

I think you will find that the system will be easier to maintain, more reliable, and faster, because that old laptop will be really pushed and hardworking old laptops tend to have issues when run 24/7